They die together. Or near enough. Muffled cries, thrashing, and blood.The mayor was not a small man, and his thrashing actually succeeds at pushing Bryan away, and into a nearby table. As the mayor collapses, an unlit lantern crashes to the floor, glass breaking as the oil seeps out.Then nothing. Silence.

I pull myself up and dust my sleeves off. I look down at the mayor and his wife, wiping the blood off my hands and dagger on the sheets and sheathing my weapon. "Big ol' bastard. Sid, light that oil on fire and let's go, no need to stay here much longer." I look for anything valuable to grab before we leave.

Jamros Mageblood wrote:I pull myself up and dust my sleeves off. I look down at the mayor and his wife, wiping the blood off my hands and dagger on the sheets and sheathing my weapon. "Big ol' bastard. Sid, light that oil on fire and let's go, no need to stay here much longer." I look for anything valuable to grab before we leave.

I take the match and light it and toss it in on the oil, and make my escape down the stairs and out the door. As I pass Zorra outside I say "It's done, lets go" I make my way towards the far side of the garden and go over the wall.

Tolr'ax wrote:I take the match and light it and toss it in on the oil, and make my escape down the stairs and out the door. As I pass Zorra outside I say "It's done, lets go" I make my way towards the far side of the garden and go over the wall.

Jamros Mageblood wrote:I grab the valuables and make my way down following Sid. I hand over half the trinkets to Zorra, "Here pal, payment for your excellent security."

The fire picks up and spreads quickly, taking hold of the room. It won't be long.

"It obviously didn't matter if the rest of his family deserved it either..." I glare at Sid, "A child is never in a contract." I walk ahead of them, a headache from lack of rest and being thrown backwards. "Let's just get some rest. " I make my way towards Fergus' Hemeld house.

Troyer wrote:They die together. Or near enough. Muffled cries, thrashing, and blood.The mayor was not a small man, and his thrashing actually succeeds at pushing Bryan away, and into a nearby table. As the mayor collapses, an unlit lantern crashes to the floor, glass breaking as the oil seeps out.Then nothing. Silence.

Elsewhere...Owen was a good boy. At least, that's what da always said. Good boys don't wet the bed though. So Owen, "very grown up" as his momma called him, did what big boys did and changed himself in the cool, dark room. He even pulled the wet blanket off the bed, and pulled a new one out of the chest at the foot of his bed. He could see his breath in the air; that's unusual, Da must have not put more wood on the fire. Owen figured he could put more wood on the first since he was up, that might make up for his momma having to clean his blankets and clothes. Normally he'd go wake her up and she'd have to lose sleep cleaning his messes, but he was a good boy, and she deserved her sleep because she was the best momma ever! Owen tugged on his socks, and pulled his blanket around his shoulders. Owen reaches for the door - and hears a clatter and broken glass. He freezes. What was that? Did da hear it? Momma? Da was a light sleeper, and he heard movement. Maybe da was putting wood on the fire after all? But the crash was too close - upstairs. Not across the hall in da's study either. Down the hall. Owen peeked open the door, just enough to see.

Something dark and cold had now settled in Owen's belly. Something was wrong.

Troyer wrote:

Tolr'ax wrote:I take the match and light it and toss it in on the oil, and make my escape down the stairs and out the door. As I pass Zorra outside I say "It's done, lets go" I make my way towards the far side of the garden and go over the wall.

The fire picks up and spreads quickly, taking hold of the room. It won't be long.

At first nothing, then a light in momma and da's room. Shadows thrown up on the hallway wall dance and flicker. Then two large shadows move out at speed, bounding down the stairs. Owen hears one of them speak to someone else, then footsteps leading away. Does he hide? Does he run? What about Aoife? She's older, she might know? Owen could smell smoke, and the light from his parent's room was much brighter now. He steeled himself and stepped from his room, creeping down the hall with terrified springs in his feet, white-knuckled fists holding onto his blanket with all his tiny form could muster. The smoke was thicker now, and he coughed as he peered inside. Owen's brain could not articulate what he was seeing. "M-m-momma?" he sputtered. "Da?!" It made no sense. Backing away, eyes wide, pupils pinpoints, he blindly backs into Aoife's room...

Dook wrote:"Aye, aye. I feel ya. You know how I get around shiny things. Distracted and such."

I put away the shiny-ness. I follow behind Sid and Bryan, thinking to myself its probably best I didn't go inside.

"I'm sure that Fergus would be glad to know the stench is finally gone. I kind of want to know what the poor bastard did to deserve this, but mmmmh who cares now."

Tolr'ax wrote:"Doesn't matter what he did now. It's done. Let's hurry and get to his place, I'm exhausted."

We go to Hemeld and find the address that Fergus gave us.

Jamros Mageblood wrote:"It obviously didn't matter if the rest of his family deserved it either..." I glare at Sid, "A child is never in a contract." I walk ahead of them, a headache from lack of rest and being thrown backwards. "Let's just get some rest. " I make my way towards Fergus' Hemeld house.

None of you make it far away when an inhuman screech splits the crisp night air. From the mayor's mansion.

No one notices you as you make your way to the address Fergus provided. Behind you, there seems to be more and more commotion as the fire at the mayor's resident begins to light up the night. There are a few shouts, growing in urgency as you climb the steps to Fergus's address. The door is locked up tight, the inside dark.

More activity in town now, more people about, asking questions. Shouting has risen from the mayor's house, even this far away you can hear someone yelling about water buckets and the bath house. A light comes on in the home to your left. You need to be out of sight. Fergus's house, like most at Hemeld, shares a common garden in the rear. You make your way there. The gardens are, as yet, bathed in darkness. There is a small staircase to a door at Fergus's rear. It too is locked, but there's an unlocked service doorway below and to the side.

You make your way inside. There's a lantern hanging by the door. Once lit, it reveals your erstwhile abode. It's simple and without adornment, mostly unfinished brick separating rooms and providing support for the house above. Little more than a cellar for most of it, indeed housing some dried wares, and a few cots in a separate room. It's dusty - not in much use recently.

I let out a sigh of relief, walk over to a cot and dust it off. After setting down my gear I collapse into the bed and look to the others. "Why in the world did I partner up with you maniacs?" I grin and close my eyes and remember how I came to be in such company.It was after my father died. He was a cruel man, hard working, but cruel. He always told me I was trash, and that my mother was useless..she went crazy after being told it so much. She quit talking, would slap herself and and make small cuts with a knife on her own face. I was never strong enough to stand up to him directly, any time I tried I heard his words and they drained me. That's when I heard a call in the night, I followed it to an old library long abandoned. I found had it, books of arcane lore and even some spells that terrified yet intrigued me, I studied them constantly behind my father's back and practiced focusing spells every day. One book gave me chills when I picked it up, HE spoke, and I made the pact when the Old One promised me power.The next time my father called me trash..I destroyed his mind, and electrocuted him to nothing more than a drooling invalid. I traveled far, continuing my studies, becoming a sage. I kept myself fed and sheltered in the home of others, I didn't like laboring, but pleasure was easy to give especially when the minds and bodies of others were so easy to manipulate, it was along the way I met Sid, I'd be lying if I said I didn't try to sell myself to him. Instead we shared some drinks and stories, even the most in depth details of struggle and life's meaning. Something was always..off about him, a cold yet inviting handshake when we decided to work together. I remember seeing Zorra for the first time, dirty scales and a dumb smile. He scratched me with his claws greeting me with a hug, I didn't mind, big goof. We're a messed up group, but they're the only kind I feel..accepted with again....my mind drifts away as I fall asleep...

I take one of the cots. Doff my clothes and scrub them down with some water from my pack, trying to get the blood stains out, can't be walking around like this. Once I get rid of the evidence, I lay down and think about the night.... "Dark night tonight" I whisper mostly to myself. "In the morning, we leave for the farm, lets not stick around too long. We can ask Fergus 'bout the watch in the mornin'. But I doubt he'll know much 'bout it, if we don't figure out anything from him, I say forget 'bout it. After that, we leave with the new workers. Gotta be careful, everyone will be wantin' to talk 'bout the mayor. We caused a scene at the Tradecourt, we already had eyes on us....and that scream....someone saw the bodies, don't think they saw us, and if they did, we were just shadows in the night." I say out to my friends. "G'night ye scoundrels"

I hear the words said dishes out and take heed. No need to stay in Tradecourt any longer than we need to be. Sid made valid points about how we already had eyes on us, the watch though....is it a farce or will Fergus know a thing or too about it. Anyways, we can not stay long, no matter how much I like the chumbucket. Hopefully, we shall see. I lay in the cot, tired. Looking at the ceiling wondering about what is next on this escapade. I hope its not another sneaky mission....I feel useless in those moments. My mind starts to drift about this damn rich man feud. I let out a big sigh and close my eyes. Wish people would just take care of their own business and be happy with what they have. Unlike me, I was cast aside and banned from my clan. I had nothing until that fateful night at the fight club. . . *falls asleep*

You sleep fitfully, with dark dreams of blood and fire. You are hunted by the shadows themselves, always.Each of you, in some fashion, see a blood-drenched waif of a girl, the gash at her throat a cruel juxtaposition to her youthful beauty.Screams echo in your thoughts, and you all wake drenched in sweat, cold in the morning air.

The smell of char is on the wind, even here in your cellar. The sun peaks though the cracks around the door.

I wake up, rubbing my eyes and getting up to change and clean myself up. "Wonder if Ol' Fergie made us breakfast at least, lets not go near the Mayor's home..or what's left of it" I sniff and cough a bit as the smoke smell lingers, gather my things and make my way outside.